Skiing / Bob Lochner : Spring Prevails on Southland Slopes, Takes a Powder Break in Sierra

Spring skiing is upon us. That special combination of ball-bearing snow, raccoon-eyed suntans and picnicking on the lodge deck or around a flat rock near the top of the lift has arrived a bit early, according to the calendar--but not according to the ski report.

All five Southland ski areas in daily operation reported spring conditions Friday, meaning snow that’s firm in the morning, then softening in the afternoon. Base depths at the five--Goldmine, Snow Summit, Snow Valley, Mountain High and Mt. Baldy--range from 12 to 48 inches.

A foot or so of snow fell in the High Sierra Thursday night, creating some excellent powder skiing for a few days, and another storm is possible this weekend, but spring figures to return by midweek.

Although you don’t have to wear a bikini to fully enjoy yourself, you won’t have to bundle up in a down parka, either. It’s a time to shed excess clothing and go for it, to enjoy the last month or so of skiing before Easter arrives April 19 and the call of the beach suddenly proves irresistible.

Most resorts are offering discounts and other enticements, especially during April, when the snow will still be plentiful but skiers won’t be. Utah’s Snowbird, for example, will let couples who stay in one of its hotels for five nights or more ski free next month.

Spring carnivals and other special events abound everywhere, such as these scheduled for this week and next:

--The Stella Artois Weekend World Cup, co-sponsored by CitySports, today at June Mountain.

--The second annual Snowshoe Thompson Mail Run, a 12-kilometer race and tour open to cross-country skiers, today at Hope Valley, near Kirkwood.

--The Jimmie Heuga USA Express, with about 30 three-skier teams trying to make runs totaling 1 million vertical feet in the interest of fund-raising for the Jimmie Heuga Center for the physically challenged, Sunday at Squaw Valley.

--The sixth annual Corporate Ski Challenge, involving 800 competitors on 125 teams, Monday through March 22 at Alpine Meadows.

--The national cross-country meet Monday through March 22 at Royal Gorge, on Donner Summit.

Dave McCoy, owner of Mammoth/June Ski Resort, is asking skiers to write the U.S. Forest Service, which is in the process of developing a “forest plan” for development of the Inyo National Forest for the next 15 years.

Says McCoy, in a widely distributed letter: “We here at Mammoth/June Ski Resort, along with other groups and residents of our local community, support the concept of well-planned, quality recreational development in appropriate locations on national forest lands. To meet the demands of the growing number of vacationers to the Inyo National Forest, we must have a forest plan that will keep the door open for the possibility of future development.

“If you agree with us that the Forest Service should plan for growth of recreation on the Inyo National Forest, please write a personal letter as soon as possible to Dennis Martin, Forest Supervisor for the Inyo National Forest . . . and ask him to do whatever he can to insure that the proposed forest plan does not exclude the possibility of future development of facilities for concentrated recreational use.”

Martin’s address is listed as 873 N. Main St., Bishop, CA. 93514.

Skiing Notes

Billy Kidd, silver medalist in the 1964 Olympic slalom and 1970 World Alpine combined champion, is the fifth recipient of the annual AT&T; skiing award, given to recognize “an individual whose commitment to excellence and dedication to skiing has profoundly enriched the sport.” Kidd, director of skiing at Steamboat, Colo., joins previous winners Bob Beattie, Willy Schaeffler, Jimmie Heuga and Serge Lang. Other 1987 finalists were ski cinematographer Warren Miller of Hermosa Beach and double Olympic gold medalist Andrea Mead Lawrence of Mammoth Lakes.

This weekend, the men on the World Cup circuit are taking their best shots at Calgary’s Mt. Allan, where lots of fresh snow and colder temperatures have improved conditions for a pair of races on the 1988 Olympic courses. Channel 7 will televise today’s downhill on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. PST (tape-delayed), and ESPN plans to show Sunday’s super-G live at 9:30 a.m. . . . The women are at Vail, Colo., through Sunday for two downhills and two super-G’s. Pam Fletcher of the United States finished third in Friday’s downhill in 1:50.54, just behind Austrians Sigrid Wolf (1:49.79) and Elizabeth Kirchler (1:50.01). GGP Sports’ same-day coverage on Channel 7 will begin at 2 p.m. today and at noon Sunday. Sunday’s program will also show a tape of Tuesday’s Legends Downhill races, which were won by Anderl Molterer, 55, and Kiki Cutter, 37. Molterer, benefiting from a 5.9-second handicap, edged runner-up Phil Mahre, who had no handicap, by .68 of a second. Franz Klammer, also at scratch, was sixth. Cindy Nelson, with no handicap in the women’s race, finished third behind Cutter, who had an 8.3-second handicap.

The men on the U.S. Pro Tour are stopping this weekend at Boyne Highlands, Mich. . . . Women’s Pro Ski Racing is idle until the final event March 28-29 at Kirkwood. . . . The U.S. Alpine Masters national meet is scheduled March 22-29 at Mammoth Mountain. . . . The 16th annual Yosemite Winter Carnival is set for March 28-29 at Badger Pass. . . . More than 600 cross-country skiers are expected to enter the 14-mile Echo Summit-to-Kirkwood race March 28. . . . Ernie Blake will play host to the Grand Marnier Chefs’ finals April 1-5 at Taos Ski Valley, N.M.